House of Bylandt

House of Bylandt

Country	Germany
Founder	Wilhelmus dictus Doys
Founding	1200s AD
Cadet branches	Bylandt-Well Bylandt-Rheydt Bylandt-Halt-Spaldorf

The House of Bylandt is the name of an ancient house of the nobility originating in the Lower Rhine region. It later split into the cadet branches of Bylandt-Well, Bylandt-Rheydt and Bylandt-Halt-Spaldorf.

History

The first tracable ancestors of the house of Bylandt were known by the name of Doys. The first documented member of this name is Wilhelmus dictus Doys (1260) who died in the Battle of Worringen. Doys is mentioned in 1275 as being the owner of Castle Scate, then a fiefom of the Counts (and later Dukes) of Cleves. Doys son Dietrich became the first person to use "de Bylandt" as his house name (1294). From then on all descendants use the name Bylandt. From then on the Bylandt family became steadily more powerful and acquired vast amounts of land. The title Marshal of the County of Cleves also stayed in the family for a long time.

The north wing of Schloss Rheydt, the family seat of the Bylandt-Rheydt branch

In 1500 the three cadet branches formed. The first branch, Bylandt-Well became the owners of Gut in Geldern but soon died out. The second, Bylandt-Rheydt inherited Rheydt, later calling themselves Baron of Rheydt, and gained control of much land, including land in Austria, the Netherlands and Germany. They were later granted the title of Freiherr. The third cadet branch Bylandt-Halt-Spaldorf gained control of the Castles of Halt and Spaldorf in Westphalia and also became Freiherren.

Famous scions

• Bernhard, Count of Bylandt (1905 - 1998) professor of art, author.
• Arthur Maximilian, Count of Bylandt (1821 - 1891), politician, Austrian Minister of Defence.
• Willem Frederik van Bylandt, lieutenant-general during the Napoleonic era.
• Lodewijk van Bylandt (1718-1793), admiral.

Coat of arms

Shield: in gold a black cross.

Literature

• Balk, L.Inventaris van de familie-archieven van Bylant-Halt en van Bylandt-Rheydt (1329-1970) ('s-Gravenhage, 1983). (in Dutch).
• Otto Hupp. Münchener Kalender 1931. (München/Regensburg, 1931). (in German).
• Vorsterman van Oijen, A.A.Genealogie van het geslacht van Bijlandt.('s-Gravenhage, 1891).(in Dutch).

External links

• Museum Schloss Rheydt (German).
• Bylandt-Rheydt (German).